The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-21
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
A Summary of Secretary Lamar's
Annual Report.

A Summary of Secretary Lamar's
Annual Report.
Secretary Lamar, in his annual report Of
the Interior Department, says of the Indians:
The five civilized tribes of the Indian Ter
ritory embrace population Of about 64, ,oOO,
and the Six Nations of New York number
1869. These being self-sustaining, 1t ls not
necessary for the present purpose to intro
duce any statistics of their industrial oper-
atoms.
There are also about Il, 500 Indians scat
tered over the public domain and not living
on any reservations under charge OF Indian
agents, therefore no specific information Of
their industrial pursuits is at hand.
The statistics compiIel fro the annual re-
ports Of the various United States Indian
agents to the Commissioner Of Indian AZ
fairs represents that of the remaining
$500 Indians under their supervision
5000 wear citizens clothes wholly; that
IL, AT houses are occupied by them; that
$1,000 can speak English with sufficient intel
ligence for ordinary conversation; that
more than 10,500 of their children are
in schools receiving educational and
industrial training, for whom 2T schools
are in operation, and that over 81 600 families
are engaged in industrial pursuits. They
have cultivated over Us, ,O0J acres, built over
bushels Bushels Of Of wheat, vi 80, 900 bushels Of corn,
4020 900 bushels of oats, 6S.OOJ bushels OF
barley and rye, $4,000 bushels Of vegetables
and IS, QUO pounds Of butter. Besides
the above they have gathered for use and
sale considerable quantities Of wild rice, ber-
ries, herbs, furs, fish and snake root, &c.
They have sawed ], ,552 079 feet Of lumber,
cut 74,r0l cords Of wood, and lG2, 900 tons OF
hay. They own over 39a,0J0 horses, 9,0u0
mules, 1880 70 cattle, 46.0O0 swine and /, l20 :
O00 sheep. Droughts have seriously affected
the yield of their crop the past year.
The results are regarded as falling far short
of guaranteeing an early consummation of
the policy Of complete Iudian civilization.
Tn, only alternative perceived for the Indian
race is absolute extinction or q quick en-
trance into the pale Of American civiliza:
tion. The general allotment law of
February 8, 1887, is alluded to as the most
important measure of legislation ever enacted
in this country affecting Indian affairs, and
is regarded in the report as presenting the
only escape open to these people from the dire
alternative Of impending extirpation
The department has begun the work OF
making allotments under the law, and 1t
is proceeding quietly and cautiously. The
aim has been to proceed with the work
Of allotting lands on those reservations
where the Indians have made the great
est progress and where their disposition and
general cond tons promise success in this
important movement.
Under the head of pensions the report calls
attention particularly to suggestions OF the
Commissioner of Pensions for additional leg.
islation that will tend to the harmonious and
equitable administration Of the laws
now governing the granting Of pensions,
and will remove many of the inconsisten.
ces and incongruities of existing law and
very many of the present causes OF COM
plalnt. The report adds to these suggestions
one to the effect that widows who may re-
marry and who may subsequently become
widows or be divorced without fault upon
their part should have their p:nsions revived
to them for the period of such second willow
hood.
The appeals to the Secretary of tho Interior
of pension claimants dissatisfied with the
adiudicat;ons of tho Bureau of Pensions have
increased year by year, and there were pend.
ing on the lst of january, 1887, 3,S94. The
nominal balance of COS appeals now pending
before the department is merely technical
and does not express the actual number of ap.
peal cases which can be acted upon by the
department at the present time.